The United Magical States of America
by Javelon
Summary: Harry's fifth year has drawn to a close but he isn't returning to the Dursleys this summer. A shocking discovery made by Dumbledore leads to Harry being sent to America. But why is Draco there too? Just what kind of trouble will these boys get into?
1. The Meeting

**The United Magical States of America**

**Summary: **Harry's fifth year has drawn to a close but he isn't returning to the Dursleys this summer. A shocking discovery made by Dumbledore leads to Harry being sent to America. But why is Draco there too? Follow the two rivals through their many adventures, fights, and lessons America has to offer them!

**Author's Note:** This story was actually a challenge presented to me by my boyfriend because it has been so long since I actually posted one of my stories online. The kind of response I receive on this story will determine if I continue to post new chapters or not. I hope you all enjoy it!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Harry Potter. If I did I wouldn't be a poor college student. lol

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><p><strong>The Meeting<strong>

Dumbledore sighed as he massaged his temples. Sitting next to him on his desk was a small vial that contained his latest memory. It shimmered lazily, belaying the disturbing info it held. The war effort against Voldemort wasn't going well so far. Nobody wanted to believe the Dark Lord was back and those that did believe didn't want to get involved and Harry wasn't ready to face Voldemort just yet. They needed help and more time. The headmaster couldn't give them more time but he was trying to get more help. In an attempt to get the Americans to help in the war against Voldemort, the headmaster had met with a friend who was a leader in the American wizarding government.

-Flashback-

Dumbledore sat at a café in a muggle town in South Dakota with a slightly short man who had kinda shaggy dark brown hair with a full beard and moustache. If one didn't know better they would think the man was a werewolf with all the hair he had instead of a leader of a powerful wizard government.

The man raised an eyebrow as he looked over the headmaster's robes. "You know Albus, it's a good thing there's a renaissance fair in town. Everyone is going to assume you're in costume for that. I know in Britain you like to keep up tradition, but here in America wizards don't walk around in robes except for holidays. It's just so last century."

Dumbledore chuckled, "Yes I suppose to a younger nation it would appear so. The Britain wizard community prefers to keep to the traditional way of things however. They prefer to look more like proper wizards to help separate themselves from the muggles as opposed to you Americans. You seem to prefer to blend in with the muggles of your country, Wint."

Wint looked down at his dark blue jeans and plaid t-shirt. He shrugged then smirked, "Things are different here in the United States. We like to be more modern than your so called Wizarding World. You know you really need to talk to your wizarding government over there about changing that little title. The wizard communities across the world don't like to play with the haughty British country who thinks their little piece of land is the world."

While Wint chuckled Dumbledore could read the challenge in his eyes. "This is true though as far as I've seen most Americans don't like to look outside their own borders much more than the British wizards of my community."

Again the man raised an eyebrow and shook his head, "Perhaps but at least we don't go around calling ourselves the world. Our government is called the United Magical States of America. Not very original I suppose but at least we don't call it the Wizarding World. But I know you didn't come all the way to America to discuss the differences between my country and yours."

The old wizard nodded with a small smile, for as long as he had known Wint, the younger wizard had never been one for idle chit chat. He always preferred to get right to the point.

Dumbledore then turned serious. "I know many Americans are unaware of this but within the last couple years Voldemort has returned to power. He has begun to rebuild his armies back to their former glory. This time we have our Chosen One and we have started to create an army of our own, however our society is still recovering from when Voldemort was last in power. The country is weak and is in need of any assistance that we can receive. I know Voldemort will try and take control of the whole world if he defeats us. We need to make sure this doesn't happen. I'm sure as an American you can understand our desire to retain our freedom."

Wint sat silently, his face carefully guarded to remain blank. Sensing the younger wizard wasn't about to respond Dumbledore continued with an argument he was certain would get a response from his friend.

"Voldemort is threatening the freedom of everyone in the wizarding world. And I don't just mean Britain and the surrounding area. It is most certain he will attempt to take away the freedom of the other wizard communities around the world, including America. It wouldn't be good for the nation that has great pride in its freedoms to allow the Dark Lord to enslave the rest of the world."

At this point Wint smirked, "I'd like to see him try. That so called dark wizard lord can gather up all the allies he wants. This country isn't about to worry about some foolish man who let power go to his head. We get those too you know? And you don't see us running to other countries for help nor do we cower just at the very mention of a name. America has enough of its own problems to worry about without going off to clean up your country's mess."

The headmaster suspected that this would be the response of the proud American and had an argument ready to prove his point. However as he started to speak again Wint silenced him by holding up his hand and shaking his head.

"No, Albus, don't even bother trying to argue more. I'm sure I speak for those in the United Magical States when I say that America commends you for fighting for your freedom. It's an admirable thing to fight for. However, why should we help you when you refuse to acknowledge us until it's convenient for you? Not to mention us Americans aren't too keen on you leaving the fate of your country on a teenage boy. I don't care if he's the Chosen One or not he's still a kid. And it'd shock me if that poor boy doesn't need some serious therapy later in life."

Dumbledore frowned, "Harry is a strong boy. He's been able to handle everything thus far very well and I have faith that he shall remain mentally stable even after the war has ended."

Wint waved the headmaster's comment off, "You're a fool old man. But getting back on subject why should we help you? You won't even let your precious Chosen One near his American _witch_ cousin. Instead you're forcing him to live with his god-awful mickey aunt and uncle. Speaking of which isn't that illegal in your country?"

Unable to stop himself, Dumbledore's eyes widened in surprise. The proud American smirked, "You seemed to have forgotten that this wizarding government is quite good at gathering information which just further proves my point that you ignore us most of the time. And perhaps if you had visited more often you would know about Harry Potter's second cousin."

Being as old as he is, Dumbledore had seen a lot in his unnaturally long life. So it took quite a bit to surprise the old wizard. And this piece of information definitely shocked him. "Who is this witch? How did you discover her and how long have you known about her?"

Wint sat back, looking pleased that he had shocked the normally unshakeable headmaster, "Actually I've been good friends with her for years. In fact she's like a sister to me. However it wasn't until a couple years ago that I discovered just who she was related to. She had been adopted as a baby after her parents had been killed in a wizarding spat here in America. Anyway, one day she had approached me and asked if I'd do a favor and look up her family history. She was curious if any of her relatives had had magical powers as well. So I did some digging and I had discovered that her grandmother's maiden name was Potter. Naturally I had heard the stories about the boy-who-lived and I was curious if there was any relation. Lo and behold but grandma is none other than the sister of Harry's grandfather on his mother's side. Unfortunately for her the grandparents had passed away shortly before she was born. Anyway, her name is Charity Lynn and she's a 22 year old college student who resides in the state of Kansas which is where her adoptive parents live."

Dumbledore sat in silence, taking time to absorb all of this new information. After several long moments he finally asked, "Did you tell her about being related to Harry Potter?"

Wint gave him a slightly exasperated look, "Of course. The girl wanted to know about her family history so of course I'm going to tell her everything I find out. Needless to say she was rather surprised to discover she was related to the legendary boy-who-lived and she thought about contacting this Potter kid. She decided not to when I told her that he was living with his mother's sister and her husband and son and she didn't want to intrude on his life. Though recently I discovered just what kinda people his aunt and uncle are. If Charity ever found out I wouldn't be surprised if she showed up at their door step and dragged Harry back here to the States. She doesn't tolerate any form of abuse. Speaking of which I'm very disappointed in you for letting that boy stay in that situation."

Dumbledore smiled sadly, "He had no choice. Due to his mother's sacrifice to save him, Harry had to stay with blood relatives to prevent being discovered by Voldemort."

Wint crossed his arms and frowned at the wizard, "Well now he does have a choice. Charity is a blood relative so he'd be perfectly safe with her. That leaves you with no other excuse. Besides it'd be good for the boy to visit another country that's not quite as backwards as yours."

Dumbledore silently pondered this, choosing to ignore another of Wint's jabs at his country. Finally the old headmaster stood up, "Thank you for agreeing to meet with me Wint. I do hope you will reconsider your decision. It would be most helpful if America could join us in the fight against Voldemort. Many innocent lives could be saved."

Wint rose too and shook Dumbledore's hand, "Regardless of my answer, you are my friend. The least I could do was hear you out. Just cause it's you asking I shall bring the issue up with my committee. However, it is unlikely that the answer will change."

-End of Flashback-

That meeting had been about a week ago. Today Dumbledore had received a letter from his friend saying that even after careful consideration and debate, America would be staying out of this war. This didn't surprise the headmaster but he was disappointed. His old mind had worked almost in overtime trying to find a way to get his friend to reconsider. Wint was the head of foreign politics and was very influential with the other leaders because of their respect for him.

The only thing Dumbledore had to work with was this Charity Lynn. He had looked her up and discovered that she was in fact a very brilliant witch who did work mixing technology and magic trying to enhance muggle's technology using magic. She chose to live mostly like a muggle, going to a muggle college to increase her knowledge. She seemed to prefer the modern day technology as opposed to the old fashioned wizarding community in Britain. Dumbledore suspected that this was from being raised in America where the magical and non-magical folk were closely integrated. From what he was able to discover, she was an overall good person even if she was a bit young. Still massaging his temples, the grey wizard let out another sigh.

Suddenly his musings were interrupted by the sound of a tapping on his door. Noticing that it sounded like an owl, Dumbledore flicked his wand at the door causing it to swing open. As it opened a golden hawk owl flew in and landed next to him on his desk, a letter firmly in its beak. Gently he took the letter from the great bird, rewarding it with an owl treat which it took gratefully. For the second time in a week, Dumbledore was caught off guard when his eyes laid upon the Malfoy family seal on the envelope as he carefully opened the letter, his wizened old eyes looking over the elegant script that could only belong to Mrs. Malfoy.

_Mr. Albus Dumbledore,_

_I know you are no doubt surprised by my letter but I am in great need of assistance which I believe only you can provide. I am aware that you owe my family nothing as my husband has caused you much grief in the past but I plead you take in these words before you make your decision. I know you are aware of my family's unfortunate involvement with the dark lord. He has revealed that he wishes to make Draco a death eater and as punishment for my husband's failure, Draco is to perform a most impossible task. The dark lord knows Draco will fail and plans to execute him in front of Lucius. I fear for my son and wish to send him away but I know not of a safe place for him except for Hogwarts. Would it be possible for Draco to remain at Hogwarts even after the school year ends? As a mother with no other options to protect her son, I ask you to please help my son. I anxiously await your response._

_Sincerely,_

_Narcissa Malfoy_

A heavy weight seemed to have been placed upon the headmaster as his shoulders sagged slightly, causing him to look more his age than he had before. He knew Voldemort would want Draco to join his ranks but he didn't think the dark lord would have Draco join until he had finished school. Dumbledore would help Narcissa for he could not ignore a mother's cry for help but Draco couldn't stay at Hogwarts during the summer months. Dumbledore wasn't going to be there most of the summer and he couldn't promise the school would stay safe in his absence. He knew the best thing for Draco would be to hide in a foreign country.

At this thought Dumbledore paused as he thought over everything he had learned within the past week in addition to the problem with Draco. Getting parchment and a quill, the old wizard wrote a quick response to Narcissa, telling her that he would help her and would hide Draco from unfriendly eyes once the school year ended. For Draco's own protection, he could not tell Narcissa exactly where her son would be but he assured her that Draco would be safe until it was time to return to school. Sealing the letter, Dumbledore gave the letter to the Malfoy's owl and sent it on its way. After watching the owl fly away, he retrieved another piece of parchment. The school year would end in just a week and if he was to have everything ready he had much to do.

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><p>So what do you guys think? Please review and let me know!<p> 


	2. You Want Me To Do What Now?

**AN: **Wow I'm surprised how many people are following this story already. I hope I don't disappoint you guys!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Harry Potter or GameStop for that matter. Though I wish I did. .

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><p><strong>You Want Me To Do What Now?<br>**

Charity sighed as she locked the door to the GameStop store and turned to face the now deserted sales floor. Somehow she had once again been tricked into closing up alone. She had a bleeding heart according to her friends so it was easy to guilt trip her into doing something she didn't really want to do. Scowling, Charity glanced at the schedule before she walked around the store to make sure everything was in order. Pausing for a moment, she saw that the one who had tricked her into staying was actually opening tomorrow. Charity smirked as she looked over at the large stack of used games that needed to be organized and put into their respective drawers and their cases put out onto the sales floor.

"I think I'll leave these games for that lazy bum. He doesn't have a test tomorrow morning or classes at 9 am and the store doesn't open until 10." Charity said to herself.

Letting out another sigh, the college student made her way around the store, shutting down each of the demo game systems in the store. Once this was completed, she dug for the TV remote in the storage drawer. When the store was open they had a 32" flat screen that had a DVD that played over and over and over again. It was enough to drive the employees nuts! If she had to listen to those damn commercials about how awesome the latest Call of Duty was gonna be, loop one more time she would pull her hair out. Grumbling in annoyance as her blonde hair kept falling into her face, Charity held her hair back with one hand as she pushed stuff aside with her other hand.

"We really need to organize this stupid drawer." The blonde grumbled.

Suddenly she let out an "Ah ha!" when her bright hazel eyes landed on the elusive remote. She snatched it up and spun around to quickly shut up the overly happy blonde advertiser as she told her audience of how action packed the newest Wii game was. Charity was convinced the girl wasn't even a gamer and if she was she was only a very casual player. Silence filled the small college town store and Charity let out a small sigh of relief.

"Ah the sweet sound of silence." She said to herself happily.

Unfortunately for her the silence didn't last long as a loud CRACK whipped through the air behind her, causing a few chose curse words to escape her lips as she dove to the floor behind the counter. Charity laid there for a moment before she looked up only to jump again when she saw an old wizened face staring down at her.

The old man chuckled softly and spoke in a heavy British accent, "My apologies miss. I did not mean to startle you so much."

Realizing she wasn't about to be blown to smithereens she slowly stood up and scowled at the man.

"You know it's rude to just apparate into my store without any warning."

He nodded, "Again I apologize though it appears you were somewhat ready for an attack. It's been awhile since I've seen someone move so fast."

Charity laughed slightly, "Yea it's a skill you pick up when playing dodge ball with college boys. You either move fast or get the wind knocked right out of you!"

She sighed when she saw the old man's slightly puzzled look. "You know you British wizards need to get out more often. Who are you anyway? And what do you want? I've never seen a British wizard here in Kansas before. I assume you are one judging by your accent and attire." She commented as she went about opening the register drawers to count them down for the night. It was getting late and she still had to study for her test tomorrow. She'd be damned if this old fool kept her longer than need be.

The old wizard chuckled again then smiled at her, "I am Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am here to discuss with you a matter of great importance."

Hearing his statement Charity raised an eyebrow at him before going back to counting the money from the first drawer, "Hogwarts huh? Isn't that in Scotland? And I think you'd be better off talking with the head of the foreign politics department of America's magical government. He's a friend of mine actually."

Out of the corner of her eye Charity saw Albus shake his head, "Yes Hogwarts is located in Scotland. Also I have already spoken with your friend. He's the reason I found you tonight. No, the matter I wish to discuss with you has to do with Harry Potter."

Charity paused upon hearing the name and tilted her head to the side as she looked over at the headmaster. Seeing that he didn't seem to be bluffing just to get her attention she set down the money and leaned back against the counter as she crossed her arms across her chest, "Alright Headmaster you have my full attention. What is it about my cousin that you wish to discuss?"

He seemed to be pleased that she was giving him her undivided attention and started right in on his point. "I'm sure you've heard about the problem the British Wizarding World has with Voldemort. And your friend Wint tells me you're aware to an extent of Harry's involvement with Voldemort" At Charity's nod he continued, "Because of Harry defeating Voldemort all those years ago, Voldemort has made hunting Harry down one of his priorities. This puts Harry in grave danger and being the Chosen One he must be protected. These past several years Harry has been staying at his aunt's however I know it is not a pleasant situation. Harry must stay with a blood relative because of the sacrifice his mother made to protect him from Voldemort. Her sacrifice created a barrier of sorts around Harry's relatives' house, protecting him from detection. Now as I previously stated, the situation at Harry's aunts is less than desirable. His aunt and uncle don't tolerate magic and do their best to pretend Harry doesn't even exist."

"That's unacceptable!" Charity blurted out, angered by this information, "You don't shun someone just cause of their heritage! These are despicable people if what you say is true!"

The blonde frowned when she saw a twinkle in the old wizard's eyes as he nodded, "That is why I am here tonight, Charity. Being his only other blood relative, if you took him in, he could get away from that family and hopefully into one where he could grow and flourish better."

"Whoa you want me to do what now? You do realize I'm only a 22 year old college kid right?"

The old wizard simply nodded.

Charity chewed on her bottom lip as she thought. While she didn't like how Harry was being treated, it was a big deal to take a kid in especially since she was still in college. Granted she was considered an adult in both worlds but she was still technically a student.

Dumbledore seemed to sense what she was thinking. "I know it seems like a lot to be asking. You should know that if you agree then Harry would only be staying with you during the summer. Also he's to turn 16 in July and he is more than capable of taking care of himself."

"Oh well that is good to know." Charity commented but her concerns didn't really lessen, "Hmm well I'm the kinda person who likes to help if I can. But I only really make enough to support myself. I don't think I could really support a teenager. I mean granted this summer my parents are traveling for business so I'm staying at their place so I don't have to worry about rent but there's still food and bills to take care of."

Dumbledore smiled at her, "I can assist you in that department. Plus Harry has a good amount of money so he can help cover anything he may need."

"Oh...Well yea that'd certainly help out a lot." Charity said, still mulling it over in her head.

Dumbledore again nodded. He paused for a moment then started slowly, "There is…something else I would like to ask of you if I could. I know I've already asked much of you but there is someone else that needs your help."

Curious, Charity tilted her head to the side, "Who would that be? And why do they need my help?"

"His name is Draco Malfoy. He's 15 years old too so he's in Harry's year. The problem he's facing is that his father, Lucius, is a Death Eater, which as you probably know are followers of Voldemort. Recently it was discovered that Voldemort wished to add Draco into his Death Eaters. Draco's mother, Narcissa, wishes to protect her son from that life and has asked me if there was some way I could hide Draco from Voldemort. At least until the school year starts. I cannot keep Draco at Hogwarts over the summer since I will be busy with business elsewhere and I cannot assure his safety. This boy needs your help or he will be forced into a very dark life that he wasn't meant for."

Charity stood silently for several moments thinking over everything she'd learned. Finally she took a deep breath, breaking the silence.

"So you want me to take in Harry and Draco for the summer until school starts in September. Not to mention this Draco kid's family is involved with the guy who's hunting down my cousin?" She said slowly. When the old wizard nodded she sighed and thought, 'Ugh I don't know if that's a good idea. I can just see this blowing up in our faces.' Out loud she said to Dumbledore, "You realize my school starts up in August? Plus I'm going to summer classes for the month of June?" He simply nodded and Charity sighed again.

"Bleeding hearts of the world unite." She muttered to herself though judging from Dumbledore's amused look it appeared he heard what she said.

"Well honestly I can't in good conscience turn Draco away especially when I'm essentially protecting his classmate from the same person. Alright I'll do it. When will they be coming stateside?" Charity asked.

Dumbledore smiled brightly at her decision, "This Friday they will be flying into the Kansas City airport at 10 am."

If Charity had been drinking or eating anything, she probably would have choked. Instead her jaw dropped as she exclaimed, "This Friday? You do realize that it's Monday so that only gives me 3 days until they get here to get ready?"

"Yes is that a problem?"

Resisting the urge to do a facepalm, Charity shook her head, "Only slightly. I'm starting to think that I picked the wrong summer to take classes though." Mentally rearranging her schedule for the week Charity let out what felt like the hundredth sigh that evening, "Alright I'll have everything ready for them. Also why are they flying and not apparating? Wouldn't that be faster, cheaper, etc?"

"True but it's less likely for someone to follow Harry and Draco on an airplane. Wizards in Britain, especially followers of Voldemort, don't like any muggle technology. I'm trusting that their hatred of all things muggle will be their blind spot."

Charity was puzzled for a moment, "Muggle…? Oh you mean mickeys! What a strange word muggle. It doesn't roll off the tongue as easily."

The headmaster smiled, "Yes I'm well aware of your country's preference of the word mickey as well as a few other American English words as opposed to British words. You should know that Draco and Harry are not familiar with American customs so you may have to be patient with them. So tomorrow I shall send you some money to help you get ready for the boys. I hope where you are staying is big enough for three."

"Yea like I said before I'm actually watching my parents' house for the summer. My mom shows dogs and so she's traveling the world to go to all these big international dog shows. And my dad is working in the Middle East as an electrician until October. My parent's place is best cause we've got my room, theirs, plus a guest bedroom. So yea plenty of room."

The old wizard seemed pleased by this answered, "Very good. I thank you and apologize for any inconvenience this causes you. I hope you realize just how much you are helping these boys. Feel free to contact me if you have any problems."

Charity shrugged, "I'm always happy to assist if I can. I'll be sure to keep in contact. It was nice to meet you Mr. Dumbledore."

Dumbledore bid her a farewell and disappeared with another loud CRACK. Charity pursed her lips in disapproval.

"They've really got to find a quieter way to teleport so they don't announce to the world 'Hey I'm teleporting!' Sheesh."

Glancing at her watch she discovered that she had been talking to the old headmaster for an hour.

"Ugh fantastic. And here I wanted to be home by 9:30 so I had plenty of time to study then relax before bed."

The young college student let out a sigh. Getting back to work on closing down for the night she thought about how her summer just got a lot more exciting.

"What have you gotten yourself into this time girl?" Charity thought aloud to herself.

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><p>Uh oh Draco and Harry living under the same roof? If only she really knew what she was getting into!<p>

Anyway let me know what you guys think so far!


	3. America, Here I Come!

Hey guys sorry this took awhile to get out! I couldn't decide how I wanted it to go and actually rewrote this chapter several times before I was satisfied enough to post it.

Quick note. I know Harry Potter is supposed to take place in the '90s but for this story I'm changing it to this year. Also, being an American I'm not familiar with British terms or slang but I did try to stay away from American slang. So I apologize about this.

Also thanks to Mandy for reviewing! I'm glad you like the idea so far. And yea I was trying to go for something rather original without straying too far from canon.

And a big thanks goes out to everyone who has add this story into their favorites or started following it. I hope I don't disappoint you guys!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Harry Potter but I own the movies and the books! That's gotta count for something right? ...right?

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><p><strong>America, Here I Come!<strong>

Silence filled the boy's dormitory. Most of the boys had already packed up their stuff for tomorrow when they would go home for the summer. Dull emerald green eyes scanned the room, searching for anything he might have forgotten to put into his trunk. Well that's what he was supposed to be doing. His mind kept wandering back to the night in the Department of Mysteries. Back to the night where he lost the only family member who cared about him. The-Boy-Who-Lived. That's what everyone called him. And soon they would all be calling him The Chosen One. Harry's shoulders sagged. For just once in his life he wanted to be just Harry. He just wanted to be the boy who was a regular teenager with regular problems with a regular life. But Fate decided somewhere along the way that no, he couldn't be normal. He had to be the savior of the wizarding world, the source of people's hopes. It was a heavy burden to carry especially for the 15 year old.

A soft rapping on wood brought Harry out of his thoughts and he turned around to find his best friend watching him in concern.

"Hey Ron." Harry said quietly.

The red headed boy nodded, "Hey Harry. You alright mate?"

For a moment Harry was tempted to say, 'What do you think? I don't have a normal day in my life. I'm expected to defeat one of the greatest dark wizards of all time and I just lost the one family member who cared about me! All because I had to play the hero! So no Ron, I'm not alright.'

But did that really sound like something The Chosen One would say? Not really. Instead he just nodded, "Yea I'm ok."

Ron didn't seem to believe Harry as he stood there silently for a moment before nodding, "Well hey Dumbledore is looking for you. The password is Fizzing Wizbees. What is it with that old man and candy anyway?"

Harry had to crack a smile and shrugged, "He really likes his candy I guess."

Ron shrugged as well and turned to walk out of the room, "Guess so. Well, you coming?"

Harry followed Ron down to the common room where he saw Hermione, Ginny, and Neville sitting. They turned to face him causing Harry to hurry towards the portrait. He didn't feel like dealing anyone else's looks and words of concern and sympathy. It only made him feel worse.

Once he had reached the hallway outside his dorm he let out a soft sigh of relief that he had managed to avoid his friends' questions. Then a stab of guilt hit him for trying to get away from his friends. They were just trying to help and he knew that. Harry decided to make it up to them when he returned from visiting Dumbledore.

The young teen swiftly made his way to the Headmaster's office. As he reached the gryphon and gave it the password, he began to worry about the state he had left Dumbledore's office in last time. Dumbledore hadn't seemed angry about Harry destroying half his office but it still made Harry wince when he remembered how childish he had acted. He opened the Headmaster hadn't called him here to discuss that.

Before Harry could reach the door after ascending the stairs, he heard Dumbledore's voice.

"Please come in Harry."

Hesitantly, Harry stepped into the office almost caught off guard when he saw that the office was in perfect order with not a single broken piece of glass anywhere. Then he reminded himself that Dumbledore was one of the greatest wizards in history. Of course he would be able to fix everything that Harry had broken.

Pulling himself from his thoughts, Harry turned his attention to the old Headmaster standing in front of him with a smile on his old face.

"You summoned for me sir?"

Dumbledore nodded, "Yes Harry. I'm glad you were able to come so swiftly. I have some news for you that I believe you shall greatly enjoy."

Harry's heart jumped in excitement. Maybe he was finally being allowed into the Order. Or maybe they had found a way to get Sirius back after all.

"What news would that be sir?"

"You shall not be returning to the Dursleys this summer."

Harry's eyes widened and assumed Dumbledore meant he'd be staying with the Weasleys instead, "That's great sir! Why didn't Ron tell me I'd be staying with him though?"

Dumbledore shook his head, "I'm afraid you won't be staying with the Weasleys this summer."

Harry frowned and tried to think who else he could be staying with.

With a smile Dumbledore said, "Recently I was speaking with a friend of mine from America. He told me about a friend of his, a 22 year old witch named Charity Lynn, who lives in America as well. My friend informed me that his friend had actually been adopted as a baby and that her biological family was from our country."

"That's great but what does that have to do with me?" Harry asked, very confused.

Dumbledore walked around to the other side of his desk and pulled out a picture from a drawer and walked back around and handed the picture to Harry. In the picture was a young blonde woman with bright hazel eyes, smiling and waving at the camera. She only looked to be a few years older than Harry.

"Charity's biological grandmother's maiden name was Potter." Dumbledore explained.

Harry's mind went numb. Was the Headmaster saying what he thought?

"Harry, Charity is your cousin and your only living relative who possesses magic. It's with her that you shall be staying."

He couldn't believe his ears. Shock seemed to be the only thing he could feel, forcing the teen to sit down in the nearest chair. Dumbledore seemed to understand that Harry needed some time to process this information and just stood there silently, watching Harry's reaction.

"How did no one know about this before?" Harry finally asked.

"I had thought about that as well. The only conclusion I was able to come to was that your family simply lost contact with her grandparents after they moved to America so when Charity's parents died no one knew who any of her living relatives. So she was given up for adoption."

Several more moments of silence passed before Harry broke it again.

"Does this mean I don't have to return to the Dursleys again?" Harry asked hopefully, looking up at Dumbledore.

The old wizard smiled and his blue eyes twinkled as he replied, "No you don't have to return to the Dursleys. I have spoken with the rest of the Order and they agree that not only will you be safe because you're still under your mother's protection but you shall also be in another country far away from our own. This will make it much more difficult for Voldemort's followers to locate you."

Excitement swelled within Harry, quickly overtaking his shock. He would never have to return to his awful aunt and uncle's place! He could stay with a family member who might actually like him and was magical too! He didn't care if it was in America. He was used to not seeing his friends all summer.

"Fantastic! When do I go over to America? And how will I get there?" Harry asked, trying to keep from bouncing in excitement.

Dumbledore seemed amused by Harry's reaction as he started chuckling, "You will be flying there. By plane. Tomorrow when everyone else is boarding the train, Tonks is going to come here and take you to the airport. From there you will be flying for roughly 7 hours to New York City and then fly from New York to Kansas City which will take almost another 4 hours. Once you reach Kansas City, Charity will be there to pick you up. And there's no need to worry about changing planes. Even when you land in New York you shall stay on the same plane."

Harry grimaced when he mentally calculated all that flight time, "So it's going to take almost 12 hours to get there? Why can't I just side apparate?"

"Yes. Hopefully the long flight can help you become adjusted to the new time zone since Kansas City is 6 hours behind us. And as for the apparating, we are hoping that if you fly, the Death Eaters are less likely to be able to follow you."

Harry nodded, that made sense to him.

"Six hours behind us? Hm so since its 9 pm here it must be 3 pm there right?"

When Dumbledore nodded, Harry mentally frowned. The time difference wasn't going to be fun to deal with. Mentally shaking his head of those thoughts, Harry smiled. It didn't matter what the time difference was. He was finally going to meet a blood relative who was like him.

"I can't wait sir." Harry said with a smile.

Dumbledore dismissed Harry and the raven haired teen grinned as he hurried back to his dorm to tell his friends the good news.

At the same time that Harry had been speaking with Dumbledore, the blonde Slytherin prince was summoned by his House Head's office.

The young teen scowled. The rest of his house mates were celebrating the end of the school year and he had been enjoying partying with them. He knew once he got home his life would once again be rather dull since there wasn't much to do besides read.

Reaching the House Head's office, he rapped twice on the door before entering and standing before his professor, his scowl firmly in place.

"You wished to see me Professor."

The dark haired professor glanced up from the parchment he was writing on, "It would do you good to remember to be more prompt when summoned, Draco."

Draco sneered, "I was busy. What is it that you wanted, Professor Snape?"

Snape narrowed his eyes at his godson, "Respect your elders, Draco. Or do you wish for another etiquette lesson from your father?"

Draco paled as he remembered the lessons from his childhood and fought down the nausea that accompanied his memories.

"My apologies godfather."

Snape smirked, "I thought not. I did not summon you here to speak about your lack of manners. Your mother wished for me to convey a message."

Draco's grey eyes widened. He wasn't expecting a message from his mother especially the day before he was supposed to go home.

"What message would that be?"

There was a pause while Snape looked over the young boy, causing Draco to shift uncomfortably.

Finally Snape replied, "It seems the Dark Lord has taken up residence in the Malfoy Manor. Your mother does not wish for you to be exposed to him just yet so you're being sent to live with a family friend outside of the country."

Outrage filled Draco, "What? Why am I being sent to live with some stranger? Why can't I at least stay with you?"

"Because your mother doesn't want the Dark Lord to go searching for you. She doesn't want you to join the Death Eaters ranks."

Draco smirked, "Well You-Know-Who obviously recognizes my talents if he wants me to join. Maybe I want to join the Death Eaters!"

Snape stood up, anger evident in his eyes, "You foolish ignorant brat! You think this life is glamorous? Full of adventure, fame and glory? Wake up Draco! This isn't one of your childish fantasies! Your mother is trying to protect you."

Draco huffed and stuck his nose in the air, "She's wasting her time. I don't need protection! I'm more than capable of proving myself! She obviously doesn't understand what an honor it would be."

In a matter of a few seconds Snape had crossed the room to where Draco still stood by the door and a loud Crack! echoed in the room. Draco's eyes widened and his jaw dropped as he lifted a hand to feel his reddening cheek and slowly turned his head back to face his godfather. Snape's face was still composed but his eyes burned as emotions warred within him. The young Slytherin stood frozen in shock that his professor and godfather had just smacked him.

"You will not speak of your mother that way and you are going to America whether you like it or not." Snape said quietly but Draco could hear the warning.

"America? Why America?" Draco asked, using his eyes to plead with his godfather.

"Yes America. End of discussion. I will be taking you tomorrow. Now go back to your dorm." Snape's voice left no room for argument forcing Draco to retreat back to his dorm, hand still on his stinging cheek.

He was not going to enjoy this summer at all.

The following morning found the young Malfoy still scowling at breakfast. His friends had stopped asking him what was bugging him. Every time they had he had glared at them and told them to "Sod off" so they simply stopped caring.

Draco had hardly slept the night before, his anger at being sent away and his thoughts of being sent to America of all places had kept him tossing and turning all night. And if he was being honest with himself he was worried about this stranger that he was going to be staying with. His godfather hadn't said anything about this person other than that they were a family friend so Draco assumed this person this person must be magical. But were they male or female? Were they the same age as his parents and godfather or were they closer to Dumbledore's age? And the one question that really persisted in his mind but Draco would never admit to: was this person nice or were they cold and distant like most purebloods Draco knew?

The time to leave came too quickly for Draco's liking as he found himself standing in his godfather's office waiting for Snape to return from making sure the rest of the students had made it to the train. The boy seemed to have a permanent scowl on his face as he leaned against the wall with his arms crossed in front of his chest. Grey eyes glared at the door where his godfather would be walking through. He still didn't like the idea of having to stay in a foreign country for the entire summer and he'd be damned before anyone forced him into enjoying his summer. He had tried writing to his mother to complain about what she was making him do but Snape had intercepted him and took the letter away. Turns out he wasn't even allowed to owl his own mother until the school year resumed!

The scowl on Draco's lips turned into a frown as he got the sudden feeling that he was actually being kidnapped instead of being forced to live with a family friend. That was another thing that bothered Draco. He thought he knew all of his parents' friends and he knew he'd remember if they'd mentioned a friend living in America. Something just didn't add up.

Draco was snapped out of his thoughts when his godfather suddenly walked into the room, his cloak billowing behind him dramatically like it always did.

Snape looked the boy over, "You have everything together I presume."

Draco didn't respond as he knew Snape could clearly see the packed trunk that sat next to him. Snape narrowed his eyes, Draco assumed it was cause he hadn't answered, then told Draco to stash his wand in his trunk.

A slight panic gripped at Draco, "My wand? But why?"

"I don't have time for annoying questions. You can retrieve your wand once you get to America." Snape growled.

Draco begrudgingly stowed his wand in his trunk before following Snape out of the office.

The two walked from the dungeons up to Dumbledore's office where they stopped in front of the fire.

Snape handed the pot full of Floo powder to Draco, "We're going to the Leaky Cauldron."

Draco frowned, "Why? Why can't we just walk outside of the anti-apparating wards surrounding Hogwarts?"

"Because unless you have a permit, America does not allow foreigners to apparate into their country. Now go we don't have all day. We have to get you to the airport before your plane leaves."

In his shock Draco nearly dropped the pot of Floo powder, "A plane? Why the bloody hell do I have to ride on a plane? You expect me to trust my life to a muggle contraption?"

"Yes now go!" Snape yelled at the boy.

Outraged and sputtering, Draco angrily snatched up some Floo powder and shouted 'Leaky Cauldron!' and he threw the powder into the flames. Glowering, he refused to look at Snape as he stepped into the flames and found himself in the Leaky Cauldron with his trunk, followed quickly by his godfather.

He didn't care if it was childish, he still would not even glance in Snape's direction as they walked outside and Snape flagged down the Knight Bus. The entire ride to the airport was spent in silence, despite how nauseating it was. When they finally reached the airport, it took everything Draco had in him to keep from throwing himself onto the ground and worshipping its solidity. He vowed that unless he had no other option, he would never again ride the Knight Bus.

Snape led the way into the building and up to a desk where he discussed something with the lady standing there. Draco tuned out their conversation as he looked around at all the people around him. Behind him was a small family of tourists, the parents looking like they were trying to find something while making sure their son who looked about 10 was keeping up. Vaguely, Draco wondered what that small square device was in the little boy's hands that seemed to be playing music. Shrugging this off, Draco turned his attention to a strange man who appeared to be talking to himself. The man was dressed in an expensive black suit so Draco assumed the man was important but he couldn't figure out why this man was having a conversation with the air. He briefly wondered if it had something to do with the tiny shiny device that was in the man's right ear.

A tapping on his shoulder brought Draco back to the present and he found a small piece of paper along with a small blue book being shoved in his face. Glaring, Draco looked up at his godfather.

"No need to shove it in my face! What's this for?" he asked as he snatched at the offending paper and book.

"It's your plane ticket and your passport. Don't lose that passport or you can't come back at the end of the summer. Now hurry up." Snape replied before turning sharply on his heel and heading off into the crowd of people.

The young Slytherin slid the ticket and passport into his back pocket then hurried after the professor before he stopped and realized he didn't have his trunk.

"Wait! Where'd my trunk go?" Draco called after him.

"I gave it to the woman behind the counter to put on the plane. Stop dragging your feet and keep up. I don't want to have to look for you if you get lost." Snape called over his shoulder.

They seemed to be walking forever before Snape finally stopped in front of a large arch that bright red letters and numbers above it that said Gate 37 London to New York. People were standing in a line right outside of the arch, waiting their turn to place their belongings onto this strange black metallic thing that carried their items into this box before coming out the other side. While this was happening, the person would walk through this smaller metal arch and collect their stuff on the other side. Draco was confused why for some people the arch would beep and the person would step back and start searching their pockets before placing a few more items onto the black transporter thing and walking through the arch again only for the arch to remain quiet this time. At first Draco thought the arch was charmed to detect items in people's pockets but this theory was dashed when a little girl passed through and she pulled out a sucker from her pocket once she reached the other side.

Several minutes passed before it was Draco's turn at the arch.

"Please remove all personal belongings into this bin including watches, jewelry, cell phones, shoes and game systems and step through sir." A very official looking woman said to Draco.

He didn't know what the woman meant by cell phones or game systems but he removed his ring that bore his family crest and took of his shoes and placed them into the bin. As he was doing this he saw Snape step out of line out of the corner of his eye.

"Where are you going?" Draco turned around and asked him.

"I'm dropping you off here. You should be smart enough to get onto the plane by yourself." Snape snapped at the boy before pausing then saying, "Good luck Draco."

Draco watched as his godfather turned away and walked back towards the entrance they had come in from. Panic crept up inside him when he realized he was alone in this place. Here he was in a muggle airport surrounded on all sides with not a single wizard in site.

"Sir! I need you to please step through the gate sir! There are a lot of people we need to get through before the plane takes off." The woman from before said to Draco, waving her hand in front of his face to get his attention.

Draco turned back to her and mumbled, "Oh, sorry."

The woman seemed to give him a small sympathetic look, "First time on your own kid?"

Draco fought back the urge to sneer at the woman who called him 'kid' and simply nodded.

She smiled, "It's ok everyone goes through this their first time out alone. But I do need you to please step through the gate."

Following her instructions, Draco stepped through the small arch only for it beep loudly at him, causing him to jump back in surprise.

"It's ok son. Now do you have anything metal on you that could set off the alarm?" The woman said calmly to him.

Still startled from the loud noise, Draco quietly searching his pockets until his fingers wrapped around the small leather pouch in his pocket that contained some of his money. Remembering what the woman said about metal causing the noise, he removed the pouch and set it in the bin with the rest of his stuff. The woman motioned for him to step through again and to Draco's relief it stayed silent this time. On the other side, the woman handed Draco his stuff again.

"Good luck in America dear." She said kindly to him.

Finding his voice, Draco mumbled, "Thank you" before putting his shoes and ring back on and returning his money to his pocket and walking towards to a desk that said Tickets above it. He was halfway to the desk before he was rooted to the spot as he realized something. He had just been comforted by a muggle and he had been nice to her! He even said sorry to her! Malfoys never apologized for anything especially to a muggle! Running a hand through his blonde hair, Draco wondered what was happening to him.

'Being around these blood muggles is going to make me go soft.' Draco thought as he approached the desk, this time with his scowl in place.

Behind the counter stood a blonde woman who smiled at him a little too brightly, "Hello sir! Ticket please."

The woman seemed completely unaffected by the scowl on Draco's lips as he handed her his ticket. She took the paper and placed it under this strange red light causing the machine in front of her to give off a loud beep.

"Alright here you go Mr. Malfoy! You're in group A which shall be boarding in roughly 5 minutes so if you wish you can go stand in line next to the gate. Thank you for flying Continental International!" the woman said brightly as she handed Draco his ticket back.

Looking around, Draco spotted a small group of people standing in front of this large closed door and on the floor at their feet was a large letter A. Next to them was another group of people standing on a letter B and next to them was yet another group standing on a letter C. He assumed this is what the woman meant and walked over to the A group right as the door opened.

A brunette man walked through the now open door and called out "Group A is now boarding! Group A please follow me!"

Hesitantly, Draco followed the group down this wide and quiet hallway, becoming slightly alarmed when the floor suddenly felt hollow beneath his feet. When they reached the end of the hallway Draco realized why. The hallway stuck out the side of the building and connected to the airplane, allowing people to walk straight from the airport into any airplane that was parked there. Stepping inside the plane, he was greeted by another blonde woman, this one looking very close to his age.

"Hello! Thank you for choosing Continental International. Since this plane is currently empty feel free to pick any seat of your liking. About 30 minutes after takeoff a steward or stewardess shall be coming by to offer you any refreshments or food you might like. That's also when the in-flight movie will begin. I hope you enjoy your flight." The woman said while smiling at him.

Draco felt slightly unnerved by how much people smiled around this place. He also had a suspicious that the little speech the woman gave him was going to be repeated to everyone who followed him. As he stepped further into the plane his suspicions were proven correct as the woman said essentially the same thing to someone behind him. Throwing off those thoughts, the young wizard looked around and was rather surprised by how large and how nice the plane looked on the inside. There were three columns of seats with each row containing 3 seats. And the woman had been right when she said the plane was empty. The only seats that were taken were the ones occupied by the 4 or 5 people who had been in line in front of him. Walking down one of the aisles, Draco decided to take a window seat on the right side towards the back of the plane. As he walked down the aisle he could feel the quiet vibrations of the plane's engine through the floor, disturbing him. He couldn't get to America fast enough it seemed now. He didn't think he was going to enjoy his first time on an airplane. Sighing quietly to himself, Draco sat down in his chosen seat, his widening in surprise when he realized how comfortable the seats actually were. A very little breeze caressed his face and upon investigation, he found it was coming out of this small personal vent above his seat that he could adjust to his liking. More exploring led to him finding a fold out counter like area in front of him and a few magazines he could browse through as well as a large screen at the front of the plane that must play the movie the woman greeter had mentioned to him.

Leaning back in his seat, Draco allowed himself a small smile, 'Maybe this won't be too horrible.'

Harry could barely contain himself that morning. His excitement was growing by the minute and he could barely sit still as he tried to eat his breakfast. Every 30 seconds it seemed like he was asking another question and it was starting to wear on his friends.

"I can hardly wait to go to America!"

"I wonder what it's like to fly in an airplane."

"Hermione, do you know what Kansas is like?"

"I wonder what my cousin is like."

"Do you think she's nice?"

"You think she'll like me?"

"I'm so excited! I hope my cousin is friendly."

Hermione sighed, "Harry, relax. I'm sure everything is going to be fine. She can't be any worse than the Dursleys or else Dumbledore wouldn't have told you about her. And no I don't really know anything about Kansas. If this wasn't so last minute I would have been able to do some research for you."

Ron smiled at his best friend, "Yea relax mate. Dumbledore knows what he's doing."

Harry gave them a sheepish smile, "Sorry guys. I'm just really excited."

"We know." Ron and Hermione replied at the same time.

Ginny and Neville just grinned at the overly excited boy. Secretly the friends were all relieved that this recent event seemed to have taken Harry's mind off the death of Sirius. So they were willing to patiently deal with his persistent questions.

Finally it was time for the group of friends to make their way to the train station. Harry accompanied them since he was supposed to meet Tonks there anyway. The friends were excitedly chatting away about what America might be like.

"I hear they have some pretty exotic plants there. Ones that don't grow here." Neville mentioned.

Hermione nodded, her eyes giving off a wild light that she got when excited about learning something new, "Yes and America's culture is very different from our own. It's not uncommon for wizards and witches to live among muggles and many of them even prefer to live like muggles! Their spells are a bit different from ours as well since theirs was influenced by so many different cultures! Oh Harry you have to tell us all about it!"

Harry chuckled, "Don't worry Hermione I will. I'll even try to find a couple books for you while I'm there. I'll get everyone souvenirs before I come back."

Excited by this, Harry's friends started giving him souvenir suggestions until it was time for them to board the train.

Hermione and Ginny gave Harry a hug goodbye.

"You will be sure to write us won't you Harry?" Ginny asked.

Ron nodded with a grin, "Yea don't forget about us while having fun in America, Harry."

Harry grinned back, "Of course I'll write. How could I forget about you guys?"

The train whistle interrupted the friends and they scrambled to get their stuff onto the train before it left. Harry helped Ginny load her trunk and was startled when he turned back around to find Tonks standing behind him.

"Oh hello, Tonks." Harry greeted her.

The pink haired woman before him grinned, "Hello Harry! Nice to see you again!"

"Yea you too!" Harry replied then turned back to his friends, "Bye guys. I'll see you next school year with souvenirs!"

"You better!" his friends replied as they boarded the train, turning around to wave goodbye one last time to Harry.

Shortly after his friends had boarded the train it began to move, slowly picking up speeding on its journey to London. Harry continued to wave until he couldn't see his friends anymore before he turned back to Tonks and giving her a smile.

"Well shall we Harry?" Tonks said while holding out her arm.

With his trunk in one hand, Harry placed his hand on her arm and the two of the disappeared with a loud CRACK!

Harry stumbled forward when they reappeared in an abandoned alleyway, his body feeling very disoriented.

"Ugh I don't think I like apparating." Harry commented as he struggled to hold himself together.

Tonks grinned, "Yea most people don't on their first time. In fact most of them tend to vomit the first time they apparate."

Harry grimaced, "I can't imagine why."

Once he felt liked he was no longer going to see his breakfast a second time the two walked out of the alleyway which Harry discovered was really close to the airport.

Before they continued however Tonks suddenly turned to Harry and exclaimed, "Oh Harry I almost forgot. You're going to have to put your wand in your trunk. This is so we don't have to explain it to the muggle security guards at the airport."

"Oh." Harry said, "I never would have thought about that."

He quickly stashed away his wand, feeling rather naked without it in his back pocket, and they continued on their journey. Harry watched the airport in awe as they approached it. It was much larger than he had anticipated. Overhead he counted at least 7 planes that had either just taken off, coming in to land, or flying overhead waiting until they had the ok to land. If he hadn't been so disoriented by the apparition he probably would have heard all the planes.

Tonks chuckled at Harry's look of awe, "Welcome to London Heathrow Airport Harry, world's busiest airport for international travelers."

Busy was an understatement. Harry had never seen so many people in one place either coming to or leaving from the airport. Tonks had to tug on Harry's wrist to keep him walking.

"I know you want to look around but I'm afraid that's going to have to wait Harry. If we don't hurry you're going to end up being late."

The two hurried into the airport where Tonks led the way to a counter where a brown haired man stood typing away at a computer. Tonks cleared her throat to get the man's attention. He looked up and seemed slightly startled. Harry noticed the man glancing at Tonks' hair and guessed the man hadn't seen many pink haired girls.

"Hello and welcome to London Heathrow Airport. How can I help you today?" the man asked once he had recovered.

"Yes I need to pick up a ticket for Harry James Potter." Tonks replied.

The man typed away at his computer for a couple minutes.

"Ah here we go. One roundtrip ticket from London to Kansas City, Missouri for Mr. Potter. Do you have any ID?" the man asked, looking over at Harry.

Before Harry could respond Tonks pulled out a small blue book and handed it to the man. He opened it and after looking it over, he smiled and handed the book back to Tonks along with Harry's ticket.

"Alright looks like everything is in order and the ticket was paid for in advanced. Do you have any luggage that is too big for carry on?"

Harry nodded and pointed at his trunk, "Yea I'm taking this."

The man seemed slightly puzzled at the sight of the trunk but he smiled anyway and had Harry place it in the opening in the counter for luggage.

"Alright we'll make sure to get this to Kansas City. Be sure to inform someone in Lost Luggage in Kansas City if for some reason you can't locate your luggage. Have a good flight!"

Tonks took the book and ticket from the man and had Harry follow her down a crowded hallway.

"Hey Tonks that man said I was going to Kansas City, Missouri. I thought Charity lived in the state of Kansas?" Harry asked.

Tonks nodded, "She does. Missouri is right next to Kansas and the airport in Kansas City, Missouri is the largest one in that area so you have to fly into Missouri. Don't worry though you'll still end up in the right place."

Harry followed Tonks until they reached Gate 37 where there was already a very long of people waiting.

Tonks sighed, "Bloody hell this line will take forever." She turned to Harry and handed him the small blue book and his ticket. "Sorry Harry but I have some Order business I have to take care of so I'm afraid I can't wait here with you. Now don't lose these. This blue book is your passport and will act as your ID over in the States. And you obviously can't get on the plane without your ticket. I hate to leave you here but I trust you can find your way onto the plane. Good luck Harry. I'll see you at the end of the summer."

Harry took his passport and ticket from Tonks and smiled at her, "Yea I can handle it from here. See you later Tonks."

Tonks smiled back at him before disappearing in the crowd towards the entrance. As she was walking away Harry thought he saw someone in a black robe walking away in the corner of his eye. Turning around quickly to see if it was another wizard, Harry searched the crowd but was unable to find anyone in robes.

The emerald eyed teen sighed, his excitement from before being sapped away from having to wait in a long line. What was taking so long anyway?

"This line isn't moving at all." Harry said out loud to himself.

The woman standing in front of him turned around and nodded, "Yea I heard there's some kid up there who got a bit spooked cause it's his first time on a plane alone. Poor kid. I wouldn't send my kid to another country on his first flight alone."

Harry nodded in agreement, "I'm sure he'll be ok though right? I mean the employees will probably make sure he gets to where he needs to go."

"Oh yes yes, Continental Airlines is always good about taking care of children. My sister sent her 10 year old son to America using this company and they went out of their way to make sure the boy was safe and where he was supposed to be." The woman replied.

"That's good." Harry said.

Harry and the woman, whose name was Sarah, chatted away while they stood in line and even on their way to the counter where they showed their tickets. Sarah told Harry that her company sold children's toys and that she was on a business trip to New York to meet with a company there. She was hoping that the company would take an interest in her products and start selling them America so she could start doing international business. She showed Harry pictures of some of her most popular products like a tiny remote control helicopter that fit in the palm of your hand and a baby doll that responded to voice commands.

The two were both in Group B and when they were allowed to board the plane they decided to sit next to each other on the left side of the plane towards the front. Sarah insisted that Harry have the window seat after he told her he'd never flown on an airplane.

"I've got a brother who lives in Florida so I fly to America quite often to visit him." Sarah told him.

The two continued to chat away about their lives, with Harry being careful to not mention anything about his magic, until they felt the plane begin to taxi out to the runway. The vibrations of the engine gave Harry a slight thrill as it seemed to thrum with power. The stewardess went over the safety procedures as the plane made its way to the runway.

As the woman was explaining how to apply an oxygen mask in case they're deployed Harry whispered to Sarah, "Is this something we really have to worry about while flying?"

Sarah smiled at him, "Most likely not. I've flown at least a dozen times and I've never had to worry about it. You never know though. Always best to be safe right?"

Harry nodded but mentally hoped they wouldn't have to worry about it. Finally the safety briefing was over and the captain's voice came over the intercom, informing his passengers of the flying conditions and of the weather in New York, both of which were apparently perfect. The plane had reached the runway and Harry felt himself pushed back against the seat as the plane took off down the runway, picking up speed before finally going airborne. Harry's stomach seemed to flip as he got a slight feeling of weightlessness and he rubbed at his ears as they began to pop uncomfortably.

Sarah saw him rubbing his ears and dug through her purse before handing Harry a piece of gum.

"Chew this. It helps relieve the pressure." She explained.

Harry gratefully took it and found she had been right as he almost immediately felt better. He grinned as he looked out the window, another thrill going through him as he watched the ground get further and further away.

'America here I come!' Harry thought excitedly.

* * *

><p>Whew this chapter was long. But yay they're finally off to America! How will the two react when they discover the other at the end of their flight?<p>

Actually I know how I want Harry and Draco to react to each other but I'm not sure how I want Draco to react to Charity. Hmm what do you guys think?

Oh and you see that little button down there? The one that says review? Please click it and let me know what you like or don't like about the story! But no flames please. Constructive criticism is accepted though as it helps me become a better writer. =)


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